When one of your best players is out, it’s an opportunity to test the depth of your roster—and they’ve really taken advantage of that. I’ve been watching them closely since the Commissioner’s Cup, and I’ve been impressed with their tenacity on defense, their chemistry, and the confidence they show in one another. McDonald and Coulson have done a fantastic job leading the team, and others have stepped up and played aggressively.
Howard is arguably playing the best stretch of her season right now, and Boston continues to be reliable and consistent. They’ve got a well-rounded squad, with Timson making a strong impact coming off the bench. Of course, every team wants their top players available—just like we do with JJ—but moments like these give teams the chance to try new combinations. And honestly, they’ve managed it really well. Naturally, they’d love to have her back in the starting lineup because she’s such a phenomenal player.
Hopefully, her injury won’t keep her out for too long. Nobody wants to see a player—especially someone like Caitlin Clark—go down with an injury. She’s already had a few setbacks this year. It would’ve been great to see her compete this time around, but hopefully after the All-Star break, she’ll be back. I’m looking forward to potentially coaching her at the All-Star Game—that’s one of the exciting things about the event: getting the chance to work with players you haven’t coached before, and just enjoying the whole celebration.
This year, we’re heading to Indiana. And someone, please bring Carolyn Peek—if that’s her name—to the front of the room. She’s the one who said the Indiana Fever are better without Caitlin Clark. Let me be clear: they are not better without her. Caitlin Clark is the engine that drives that team, and it was obvious in today’s blowout loss to the New York Liberty.
You heard what New York Liberty’s coach had to say—a coach who has a strong relationship with both Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu. Caitlin had even selected that coach for the WNBA All-Star Game, though now we’re unsure if she’ll be able to participate, thanks to both Kathy Engelbert and that reckless coach from the Connecticut Sun, who seems to have put a target on the backs of Indiana’s players.
But Caitlin has a great relationship with the New York squad—even with Stewie—so it’s no surprise their coach is keenly aware of her absence and how much it affects the Fever. She clearly wants her healthy and back in the game so she can coach her during the All-Star event.
At the end of the day, the Indiana Fever had to face the reigning champions while being short-handed. Yes, they’ve beaten New York before—with Caitlin Clark—but you can’t expect to win consistently against elite teams like that without your star.
Put this loss behind you, keep moving forward, and get ready for the next matchup. And as always—let me know what you think in the comments.
